


This Feels Too Familiar

by eafay70



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Antisemitism, Gen, Islamophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8871118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70
Summary: Jewish thoughts on Islamophobia.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aguantare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aguantare/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Other](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8569003) by [aguantare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aguantare/pseuds/aguantare). 



> I thought of this back when you first wrote "Other," but it took several tries to figure out how best to write it.
> 
> Not part of my "Advent" calendar because I don't feel that it belongs there.

Ibi didn't really mind working at the sports pub. Sure, his shifts were fairly long, and the noise sometimes got on his nerves, but the local teams were doing well, which meant the patrons gave better tips. On this night in particular, however, some of the patrons were in a more political mood. "He'll get those anchor babies out of here!" one shouted in triumph between swigs of beer.

"Their scumbag parents, too!" another proclaimed. "And those _happy holidays_ perverts!"

"And the towelhead terrorists!" the first man said. "He'll wipe out that demon cult! Religion, my ass!"

Ibi didn't want to say anything, but when the second man slurred out a question about his name, he answered honestly. "Ibi is short for Ibrahim."

"You're one of them!" the two drunks shouted together. "Go back where you came from, you bombing murderer!"

"I'm from Chicago," said Ibi as calmly as he could.

"Like that coon in the capital says, but he's lying!"

"Yeah! You're not American if you're Muslim! You're just Muslim trash!"

Ibi saw a dark-haired man walk up behind the two patrons and tap them on the shoulder. The patrons turned around, and the man said, "Why can't Muslims be Americans?"

"Only God-fearing Christians are worthy of this nation!" "Yeah, I'll bet you're a kike!"

"I am Jewish." The man's words were eerily calm.

"Go back to your stolen land, kike! Don't you have Palestinians to murder for your crackers?"

The man remained eerily calm, raising his voice ever so slightly. "What did you just say?"

"I said, go back to your so-called homeland that you stole from the people trying to kill us! We wouldn't be in this mess if we hadn't gotten all buddy-buddy with you control-freak, cheapstake KIKES! And blow out the towelhead's brains instead of taking our kids to make your food!"

At this point, everyone in the pub was staring, and the manager walked up to Ibi. With the bar keeping her relatively safe from the drunks, she said, "Gentlemen, I must ask you to leave. You may not address your fellow patrons, or my employees, in such a manner."

"You can't kick us out, bitch, just because Darkie's a good lay!"

"If you do not leave voluntarily, I will call the police."

The men stormed away, obviously as afraid of the law as they were of anyone unlike themselves. The room burst into applause.

The Jewish man rolled his eyes and walked to the cash register, where the manager spoke to him before returning to Ibi with instructions to take five outside.

Ibi saw the Jewish man pacing outside and said, "Thank you for saying something."'

"You're welcome." The man stopped pacing and extended his hand. "Daniel."

"Ibi." They shook hands. "What did the manager tell you?"

"She insisted this was the first time anyone had said something like that, which I sincerely doubt. Maybe it was the first time a waiter was directly insulted, but I've lived in this area long enough to know that those people are quite fond of the k-word." He sighed. "Islam may be the hated religion _du jour_ , but Judaism is the hated religion _du_ always. We've been where you are - sometimes we're still there - and we'll stand with you."

Ibi was stunned. "I guess our people's histories are similar."

"Well, of course - we're distant cousins, with a many-times-great-grandfather named Abe!" Both men smiled.

"If you'd like to go back inside, I'd like to buy you something off the menu," offered Ibi.

"Only if you accept a hefty tip."

**Author's Note:**

> Daniël de Ridder is a Dutch footballer whose religion and heritage were brought to attention when he signed for Hapoel Beersheva on a loan. At first, it was thought he could be counted as an Israeli citizen under the Law of Return, plus the fact that his mother's from Israel, but it turned out that he hadn't had an Israeli passport since age 3 and would therefore have to apply for Israeli citizenship, which he chose not to do. I don't think he and Ibrahim have ever played together.


End file.
